Arafat’s remains to be exhumed Tuesday: official

A member of the Palestinian Presidential guard stands beside the grave of late leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah.Photo: Reuters

Ramallah, West Bank: A Palestinian official says the remains of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will be exhumed on Tuesday to enable foreign experts to take samples as part of a probe into his death.

Arafat died in November 2004, a month after suddenly falling ill, and Palestinian officials have insisted he was poisoned by Israel. Israel has denied such allegations. The detection of traces of a lethal radioactive substance in biological stains on Arafat’s clothing earlier this year sparked a new investigation.

Former Palestinian intelligence chief Tawfik Tirawi, who heads the committee investigating Arafat’s death, said Saturday that Swiss, French and Russian experts would take samples from Arafat’s remains on Tuesday. Tirawi says Arafat would be reburied the same day with military honors. AP